title: Photoconversion mechanism of the second GAF domain of cyanobacteriochrome AnPixJ and the cofactor structure of its green-absorbing state.
abstract: Cyanobacteriochromes are members of the phytochrome superfamily. In contrast to classical phytochromes, these small photosensors display a considerable variability of electronic absorption maxima. We have studied the light-induced conversions of the second GAF domain of AnPixJ, AnPixJg2, a phycocyanobilin-binding protein from the cyanobacterium Anabaena PCC 7120, using low-temperature resonance Raman spectroscopy combined with molecular dynamics simulations. AnPixJg2 is formed biosynthetically as a red-absorbing form (Pr) and can be photoconverted into a green-absorbing form (Pg). Forward and backward phototransformations involve the same reaction sequences and intermediates of similar cofactor structures as the corresponding processes in canonical phytochromes, including a transient cofactor deprotonation. Whereas the cofactor of the Pr state shows far-reaching similarities to the Pr states of classical phytochromes, the Pg form displays significant upshifts of the methine bridge stretching frequencies concomitant to the hypsochromically shifted absorption maximum. However, the cofactor in Pg is protonated and adopts a conformation very similar to the Pfr state of classical phytochromes. The spectral differences are probably related to an increased solvent accessibility of the chromophore which may reduce the π-electron delocalization in the phycocyanobilin and thus raise the energies of the first electronic transition and the methine bridge stretching modes. Molecular dynamics simulations suggest that the Z → E photoisomerization of the chromophore at the C-D methine bridge alters the interactions with the nearby Trp90 which in turn may act as a gate, allowing the influx of water molecules into the chromophore pocket. Such a mechanism of color tuning AnPixJg2 is unique among the cyanobacteriochromes studied so far.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Chemie, Technische Universität Berlin , Sekr. PC14, Straße des 17 Juni 135, D-10623 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Velazquez Escobar
authors.forename: Tillmann
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Utesch
authors.forename: Rei
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Narikawa
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ikeuchi
authors.forename: Maria Andrea
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mroginski
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gärtner
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hildebrandt
mesh_terms: D017033:Anabaena / Q000737:chemistry*; D056004:Molecular Dynamics Simulation; D010834:Phytochrome / Q000737:chemistry*; D011487:Protein Conformation
chemical_list: D010834:Phytochrome